


There’s a Hope That’s Waiting For You in the Dark

by marvelmedigeekfics



Category: All American (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Baker Siblings, Gen, Implied Drug Use, Jordan Baker is a Good Bro, Post Season 2, drug references, references to past overdose, sibling feels, talking things out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24502444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelmedigeekfics/pseuds/marvelmedigeekfics
Summary: In an effort to cheer Olivia up, Jordan takes her on a walk down memory lane, reminding her what it feels like to have hope.
Relationships: Jordan Baker & Olivia Baker (All American)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	There’s a Hope That’s Waiting For You in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara. 
> 
> First All American piece woop woop!
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy!

It’s been a few days since Spencer first started experiencing problems with his shoulder. Everyone had thought that whole nightmare was a thing of the past, but apparently the still had a whole mess of healing to get through. After all that had happened in the past year, and there was still another mountain of pain to climb? It just didn’t seem fair. 

Jordan had noticed Olivia’s absence and it was hurting him more to see her isolating than to see Spencer struggle with his shoulder. Spencer had checked on her a few times, but it didn’t do any good. And yesterday, Spencer has said Olivia looked like she was a shell of herself. So without a better option, he knocked on her door. When he didn’t hear a reply, his memory changed to one track. The only playable track was seeing her the day she had almost died. 

“Olivia?” Her door was unlocked, and she still didn’t answer when Jordan stepped inside her room. She barely looked at him, and when she finally did, nothing about her settled his frayed nerves. 

“What’s going on?” There was a familiar pull on his eyes: tears. Olivia still didn’t say anything, but her eyes looked like his felt: ready to spill out painful tears at a moments notice. 

“I..” Olivia tried to tell Jordan what had happened three days ago. About the alcohol. About how good it felt to drink, but how bad her insides writhed in shame. But nothing came out. Jordan moved to sit next to her, leaning against the headboard and pulling his sister into his arm. 

And that was the trigger. Usually so strong, Olivia turned to mush in that moment. To his credit, Jordan didn’t say anything. He just held his sister. Like she would break, or dissipate into thin air. But mostly to remind her that she was still here. He was still here. Nothing had changed between them, except everything. 

After Olivia’s sobs turned to gentle tears, Jordan began to speak. “Liv, talk to me. Please.” 

“I..I messed up.” Olivia took a shuddering breath, which honestly terrified Jordan, but he didn’t flinch. “I lost my sobriety.” Olivia’s voice was barely audible, but the words sounded like a scream in the Baker twin’s ears. 

Jordan was silent for a moment, trying to piece together what to say. What he needed to say. “It’s okay.” He finally settled on the word ‘okay’ and a tight squeeze. 

“It’s not okay!” Olivia’s voice shattered, her pain reverberating around the room. “I always preach, and then I fucking turn around and drink! Like nothing happened! Like I’m normal and not a piece of—” 

Jordan cut her off. “Olivia. Hey. It was a mistake. It’s going to be okay. Alright?” 

Olivia nodded stiffly, with not ounce of trust in Jordan’s words. She had relapsed, and was convinced there was no way to dig herself out her mess. As much as she wished Spencer’s numbness shoved her problem out the window, somehow it made her problem grow like a disease, festering in her stomach like bad sushi. 

Before she knew what was going on, Jordan had her in his arms and was carrying her down the stairs. The pool water shocked her system, and her only thought after that feeling was about getting Jordan back. 

But it was short lived. After pulling Jordan into the pool with her, she went right back to guilt. Jordan had to drag her out of the pool, both of them dripping water from their shorts and hair. 

“Go get dressed, Liv.” Jordan said handing her a towel and shaking his hair like a dog. 

“Where are we going?” Olivia asked, scrunching her soaked curls. 

“Just trust me.” 

20 minutes later, Olivia was waiting in the doorway, her phone still forgotten upstairs. She didn’t want to answer her texts: especially the ones from Asher. She missed him, as much as it hurt to admit. 

Jordan appeared a few minutes later. “Ready?” He tried to put on a happy face, but truthfully Olivia was worrying him. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened the last time he glossed over the problem. He had to be vigilant in watching out for his sister. As much as she teased him, there was nothing she could do that would make him stop being her brother. He’d already failed before, too many times. 

“Where are we going?” Olivia asked, reflexively heading for the car parked out front. Jordan climbed in the drivers seat, clicking his seatbelt into place. 

“Do you trust me?” Jordan tapped the steering wheel a few times, letting the feeling rush into his fingers and settle his nerves.

“Of course I trust you.” 

—

Olivia asked a few more times where they were going, until Jordan turned onto the road she knew by heart. The car turned up dust in the rear view mirror. Despite her hair blowing in the wind, Olivia was happier than she had been lately. Something about this place always made life seem a little less terrible. 

“Do you know why I brought you here?” Jordan asked, after they had sat on the bench and breathed in the salt water smell and the memories that floated around this place. 

“I love this place.” Olivia said, her feet pressed into the sand like that was the only thing keeping her from floating away. 

“Yes, and because this place is my favorite memory of you.” Jordan took Olivia’s hand and led her down underneath the rocks overhead. 

“This was our spot. But one day, I got pulled under and caught on stuck seaweed.. You were tiny back then, and a terrible swimmer, but you dragged my ass out anyway.” 

“I’ve always been the better swimmer.” Olivia tried to smile, but her eyes were shimmering and her smile just looked sad. 

“No, you weren’t. But my point is, you were there for me, and dragged me out, consequences for yourself be damned. And I’ll be damned if I don’t do the same for you.” Jordan squished her to his side, and Olivia began to cry again, breaking Jordan’s heart a little bit more. 

“I’m sorry.” She managed to say between hiccuped breaths. 

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay.” 

“Everything’s a damn mess.” 

“Everything?”

“I’m not sober anymore. Spencer can’t feel his arm. Life is shit. Ashers not here. And I can’t stop thinking about how I don’t feel bad for drinking.” She stares at Jordan guiltily, and expects him to be disappointed, angry, sad, something. But his face doesn’t change. Olivia lets her face fall into her hands, ignoring Jordan’s arms.

“Hey. Look at me, sis.” He gently pried her face up to look at him again. “It’s okay. I promise. I forgive you, because you’re my sister. Please, please, believe me.” 

“I can’t.” Olivia’s voice broke, her heart shattering into a million pieces. If she can’t forgive herself, how can she believe Jordan already did? 

Jordan let her cry, trying to get his touch to comfort her, while thinking about how to get her believe him. 

“Liv.” She barely looked up, but reluctantly took Jordan’s outstretched hand. 

Neither of them said another word until Jordan parked in front of Dalia’s Heladaria. 

“Do you remember this place?” 

Olivia shot Jordan a look, which quickly turnEd to gratefulness. “You all but dragged me here when I first got out of rehab. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep in my own bed, but you insisted Mom and Dad take us here.” 

“Best ice cream in Southern California.” 

Olivia and Jordan picked a table and ate their ice cream, nothing to say, just savoring the sweetness. Jordan had a specific reason for bringing Olivia here, and it had nothing to do with ice cream. 

After finishing their bowls and returning to their car, Olivia finally realized Jordan’s point. “You brought me here so I would remember how I felt when I got out. How grateful I was to be sober, to be alive.” 

Jordan nodded, grinning slyly.

“And I remember. Because the thing I felt the most grateful for...”

“Dalia’s peanut brittle ice cream?” 

“No, you dork. You.” Olivia reached over and lightly punched Jordan’s arm, snickering when he fake moaned in pain. 

“I’m grateful for you too.”

“Thank you for this. The reminder. And buying me ice cream.” 

“Anytime. Anywhere. Because that’s what brothers are for.” 

Insults. Teasing. Love. Hope.


End file.
